San Francisco daylight dates, winter 2026–27
| Earliest sunset | Sunday, December 6, 4:51 pm |
|---|---|
| Shortest day | Monday, December 21, 9 h 33 min (sunrise 7:21 am, sunset 4:54 pm) |
| Latest sunrise | Tuesday, January 5, 7:25 am |
| First sunset after 5 pm | Thursday, December 31 (5:01 pm) |
| 10 hours of daylight | Friday, January 22 |
| 11 hours of daylight | Saturday, February 20 |
| 12 hours of daylight | Wednesday, March 17 |
| 13 hours of daylight | Sunday, April 11 |
| Longest day | Monday, June 21, 14 h 47 min |
The December solstice is at 12:50 pm on December 21, San Francisco time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (7:34 am).
Daylight gained in San Francisco, by date
| Date | Since solstice | Daylight | That day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +3 min 36 sec | 9 h 36 min | +37 sec | 7:25 am | 5:02 pm |
| Jan 15 | +18 min | 9 h 51 min | +1 min 21 sec | 7:24 am | 5:15 pm |
| Feb 1 | +47 min | 10 h 20 min | +1 min 57 sec | 7:14 am | 5:33 pm |
| Feb 15 | +1 h 16 min | 10 h 49 min | +2 min 15 sec | 6:59 am | 5:49 pm |
| Mar 1 | +1 h 49 min | 11 h 22 min | +2 min 24 sec | 6:41 am | 6:03 pm |
| Mar 15 | +2 h 23 min | 11 h 56 min | +2 min 27 sec | 7:21 am | 7:17 pm |
| Apr 1 | +3 h 05 min | 12 h 38 min | +2 min 25 sec | 6:55 am | 7:33 pm |
San Francisco: questions people ask
Why is the latest sunrise in San Francisco in October?
Because of daylight saving time. On Saturday, October 31, the last day before the clocks go back, the sun rises at 7:34 am. The next morning it is 6:35 am. On standard time the latest sunrise is 7:25 am on January 5, 9 minutes earlier.
When is the earliest sunset in San Francisco?
December 6, 2026, at 4:51 pm. That is 15 days before the shortest day, because solar noon drifts later through December. The evenings are already a little lighter by the solstice.
When do the clocks go forward in San Francisco, and what happens to sunset?
On Sunday, March 14, 2027. Sunset jumps from 6:15 pm the day before to 7:16 pm, and sunrise from 6:24 am to 7:22 am. The day itself is about 2 minutes, 27 seconds longer.
When do the days start getting longer in San Francisco?
The day after the December solstice, which is on December 21, 2026 at 12:50 pm San Francisco time. December 22 is only 2 seconds longer, so it's hard to notice until mid-January.
Shortest day in nearby cities
- Los Angeles: 9 h 53 min
- Portland, Oregon: 8 h 42 min
- Salt Lake City: 9 h 15 min
- Phoenix: 9 h 56 min
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Sun times use NOAA's solar equations, checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables. City data from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).